Latest news with #Choudri
Newsweek
a day ago
- Business
- Newsweek
California High-Speed Rail Shares Update on 'Momentous Achievements'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The California High-Speed Rail Authority has released new information on construction progress and ongoing job creation across the state this week, describing the latest infrastructure milestones as "momentous achievements." In an update on Thursday, the largest high-speed rail project in the country said 53 of the 93 structures required for the first phase had finished construction. Why It Matters California's high-speed rail project has attracted political scrutiny from President Donald Trump, who criticized the state's rail efforts and threatened to eliminate federal funding. Originally approved by voters in a 2008 ballot initiative, the track seeks to connect two of California's most important cities—Los Angeles and San Francisco—via the Central Valley, linking with several smaller areas that have historically not benefited from transport infrastructure. The project has been delayed several times and required additional federal funding in 2019. Trump has branded it a "waste" and a "green disaster." What To Know The California High-Speed Rail Authority has announced the completion of 53 structures and almost 70 miles of guideway between Merced and Bakersfield since construction began. The finished structures include the 4,741-foot San Joaquin River Viaduct in Fresno and the Hanford Viaduct in Kings County, which the authority described as the largest structure in the Central Valley for high-speed rail. "These are momentous achievements," Ian Choudri, the CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said in a news release. "Combining feats of engineering, complex logistical and legal coordination, and, on average, the labor of more than 1,700 workers in the field every day, mostly in Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties," he continued. "In total, 53 structures and 69 miles of guideway have been completed." An Amtrak conductor walking alongside a train on a platform at the San Jose Diridon station in California on October 25, 2024. An Amtrak conductor walking alongside a train on a platform at the San Jose Diridon station in California on October 25, 2024. Getty Images In a 14-page letter to the Federal Railroad Administration, Choudri also disputed allegations that the project had made "minimal progress" and rejected claims that there would be a $7 billion funding gap that could damage future progress. Choudri referenced California Governor Gavin Newsom's proposed extension of the Cap-and-Invest program, which is expected to provide at least $1 billion annually through to 2045. The city of Millbrae and the California High-Speed Rail Authority recently resolved a legal dispute that had threatened to delay new station construction. Terms finalized in the agreement guarantee Millbrae land-use oversight and integration of high-speed rail with systems such as BART, Caltrain and SamTrans. The authority said more than 15,300 construction jobs had been created since the project's initiation, with the majority filled by Central Valley residents. What People Are Saying Ian Choudri, the CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said in a June 12 news release: "Termination of the Cooperative Agreements is unwarranted and unjustified … The Authority's work has already reshaped the Central Valley. We have built many of the viaducts, overpasses, and underpasses on which the first 119 miles of high-speed rail track will run." Millbrae Mayor Anders Fung said in an April news release: "This is a momentous milestone for Millbrae. This historic settlement represents our commitment to realizing our true potential—where high-quality public transit integrates with housing and economic development to energize the future of a thriving city." What Happens Next "Construction progresses every day on the California high-speed rail project," the authority said in its update, adding that "30 additional structures are currently under construction between Madera, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties."
The Hill
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
California high-speed rail leader pushes state to support private investment
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A long-delayed project promising nonstop rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours may be able to secure the private funding it desperately needs if California agrees to pay the investors back, its chief executive told The Associated Press. Ian Choudri, who was appointed CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority in August, is tasked with reinvigorating the nation's largest infrastructure project amid skyrocketing costs and new fears that the Trump administration could pull $4 billion in federal funding. 'We started this one, and we are not succeeding,' Choudri said, describing what drew him to the job after work on high-speed systems in Europe. 'That was the main reason for me to say, let's go in, completely turn it around, and put it back to where it should have been. Fix all the issues, get the funding stabilized, and demonstrate to the rest of the world that when we decide that we want to do it, we actually will do it.' Voters first approved $10 billion in bond money in 2008 to cover about a third of the estimated cost with a promise the train would be up and running by 2020. Five years past that deadline, no tracks have been laid and Choudri acknowledges it may take nearly two more decades to complete most of the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles segment, even if funding is secured. Funding woes The project's price tag now exceeds $100 billion, more than triple the initial estimate. It has mostly been funded by the state through the voter-approved bond and money from the state's cap-and-trade program. A little less than a quarter of the money has come from the federal government. The authority has already spent about $13 billion. The state is now out of bond money, and officials need to come up with a financing plan for the Central Valley segment by mid-2026, according to the inspector general's office overseeing the project. 'The managers of the project were in trouble from the very beginning because they never had the financing – certainly not stable and predicting financing — that they would have needed to manage the project efficiently,' said Lou Thompson, who led a peer review group that analyzes the state's high-speed rail plans. Losing money from the federal government 'would require a real hard rethinking of what do we do to survive the next four years,' he said. Rail leaders are in talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration and state lawmakers on what will be needed to secure private investment, Choudri said, adding that without the private sector money the state may have to take out federal loans or issue new bonds. At an industry forum in January, private investors expressed interest in the project but need some form of security, he said. Choudri is pushing Newsom and lawmakers to consider a program that would eventually commit the state to paying back private investors, possibly with interest. That would give the state more time to cover the cost. Legislative Democrats say they remain hopeful for the project's future. But they haven't unveiled any proposals yet this year in the state Legislature to set aside additional funding and have resisted spending more money on the project in the past. Choudri plans to provide lawmakers this summer with an updated timeline and price tag. An ambitious vision Choudri aims to fulfill the original vision of building a pioneering system — already common in Europe and Asia — that spurs economic growth, curbs planet-warming emissions from cars and planes, and saves drivers hours on the road. At speeds up to 220 miles (354 kilometers) per hour, it would be the nation's fastest way to travel by ground. Amtrak's Acela train transports passengers at speeds up to 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour to major cities including New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Another rail line in Florida operating at speeds up to 125 miles (201 kilometers) per hour shuttles people from Orlando to Miami. Construction is underway for a mostly privately funded high-speed system to carry riders from Las Vegas to Southern California. California's construction is far from completion. Of the 119 miles (192 kilometers) of construction underway in the Central Valley, only a 22-mile (35-kilometer) stretch is ready for the track-laying phase, which isn't set to start until next year. Finishing the line in the Valley is just the first step. Next, the train has to extend north toward the San Francisco Bay Area and south toward Los Angeles. Choudri's goal within the next 20 years is to build to Gilroy, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. Under current public transit, it would then take at least one more train transfer to get into the city. Southward, he envisions building to Palmdale, 37 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. From there, it takes more than one hour to drive or two hours on an existing train line to reach Los Angeles. 'In the ideal world, you can take the 500 miles, build it in your warehouse and then just drop it and everybody's happy,' Choudri said. 'But the programs are never built like that. You build incrementally and that's what we're doing right now.' Doubts for the future Critics say the project will never be completed and may leave towering and unusable infrastructure stretching through the state's agricultural heartland. More than 50 structures have already been built, including underpasses, viaducts and bridges to separate the rail line from existing roadways for safety. 'We've now spent billions of dollars and really no tracks have been laid,' said Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland, who is vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. Doug Verboon, chair of the Kings County Board of Supervisors, who has fought the High-Speed Rail Authority in court over farmers' loss of land due to the project, said the people who should be most upset by delays are its longtime supporters. 'It doesn't seem to me like the state government is in a hurry to finish it,' he said. ___
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California high-speed rail leader pushes state to support private investment
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A long-delayed project promising nonstop rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours may be able to secure the private funding it desperately needs if California agrees to pay the investors back, its chief executive told The Associated Press. Ian Choudri, who was appointed CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority in August, is tasked with reinvigorating the nation's largest infrastructure project amid skyrocketing costs and new fears that the Trump administration could pull $4 billion in federal funding. 'We started this one, and we are not succeeding,' Choudri said, describing what drew him to the job after work on high-speed systems in Europe. 'That was the main reason for me to say, let's go in, completely turn it around, and put it back to where it should have been. Fix all the issues, get the funding stabilized, and demonstrate to the rest of the world that when we decide that we want to do it, we actually will do it.' Voters first approved $10 billion in bond money in 2008 to cover about a third of the estimated cost with a promise the train would be up and running by 2020. Five years past that deadline, no tracks have been laid and Choudri acknowledges it may take nearly two more decades to complete most of the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles segment, even if funding is secured. Funding woes The project's price tag now exceeds $100 billion, more than triple the initial estimate. It has mostly been funded by the state through the voter-approved bond and money from the state's cap-and-trade program. A little less than a quarter of the money has come from the federal government. The authority has already spent about $13 billion. The state is now out of bond money, and officials need to come up with a financing plan for the Central Valley segment by mid-2026, according to the inspector general's office overseeing the project. 'The managers of the project were in trouble from the very beginning because they never had the financing – certainly not stable and predicting financing — that they would have needed to manage the project efficiently,' said Lou Thompson, who led a peer review group that analyzes the state's high-speed rail plans. Losing money from the federal government 'would require a real hard rethinking of what do we do to survive the next four years,' he said. Rail leaders are in talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration and state lawmakers on what will be needed to secure private investment, Choudri said, adding that without the private sector money the state may have to take out federal loans or issue new bonds. At an industry forum in January, private investors expressed interest in the project but need some form of security, he said. Choudri is pushing Newsom and lawmakers to consider a program that would eventually commit the state to paying back private investors, possibly with interest. That would give the state more time to cover the cost. Legislative Democrats say they remain hopeful for the project's future. But they haven't unveiled any proposals yet this year in the state Legislature to set aside additional funding and have resisted spending more money on the project in the past. Choudri plans to provide lawmakers this summer with an updated timeline and price tag. An ambitious vision Choudri aims to fulfill the original vision of building a pioneering system — already common in Europe and Asia — that spurs economic growth, curbs planet-warming emissions from cars and planes, and saves drivers hours on the road. At speeds up to 220 miles (354 kilometers) per hour, it would be the nation's fastest way to travel by ground. Amtrak's Acela train transports passengers at speeds up to 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour to major cities including New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Another rail line in Florida operating at speeds up to 125 miles (201 kilometers) per hour shuttles people from Orlando to Miami. Construction is underway for a mostly privately funded high-speed system to carry riders from Las Vegas to Southern California. California's construction is far from completion. Of the 119 miles (192 kilometers) of construction underway in the Central Valley, only a 22-mile (35-kilometer) stretch is ready for the track-laying phase, which isn't set to start until next year. Finishing the line in the Valley is just the first step. Next, the train has to extend north toward the San Francisco Bay Area and south toward Los Angeles. Choudri's goal within the next 20 years is to build to Gilroy, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. Under current public transit, it would then take at least one more train transfer to get into the city. Southward, he envisions building to Palmdale, 37 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. From there, it takes more than one hour to drive or two hours on an existing train line to reach Los Angeles. 'In the ideal world, you can take the 500 miles, build it in your warehouse and then just drop it and everybody's happy," Choudri said. 'But the programs are never built like that. You build incrementally and that's what we're doing right now.' Doubts for the future Critics say the project will never be completed and may leave towering and unusable infrastructure stretching through the state's agricultural heartland. More than 50 structures have already been built, including underpasses, viaducts and bridges to separate the rail line from existing roadways for safety. 'We've now spent billions of dollars and really no tracks have been laid,' said Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland, who is vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. Doug Verboon, chair of the Kings County Board of Supervisors, who has fought the High-Speed Rail Authority in court over farmers' loss of land due to the project, said the people who should be most upset by delays are its longtime supporters. 'It doesn't seem to me like the state government is in a hurry to finish it," he said. ___ Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna Sophie Austin, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
30-04-2025
- Business
California high-speed rail leader pushes state to support private investment
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A long-delayed project promising nonstop rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours may be able to secure the private funding it desperately needs if California agrees to pay the investors back, its chief executive told The Associated Press. Ian Choudri, who was appointed CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority in August, is tasked with reinvigorating the nation's largest infrastructure project amid skyrocketing costs and new fears that the Trump administration could pull $4 billion in federal funding. 'We started this one, and we are not succeeding,' Choudri said, describing what drew him to the job after work on high-speed systems in Europe. 'That was the main reason for me to say, let's go in, completely turn it around, and put it back to where it should have been. Fix all the issues, get the funding stabilized, and demonstrate to the rest of the world that when we decide that we want to do it, we actually will do it.' Voters first approved $10 billion in bond money in 2008 to cover about a third of the estimated cost with a promise the train would be up and running by 2020. Five years past that deadline, no tracks have been laid and Choudri acknowledges it may take nearly two more decades to complete most of the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles segment, even if funding is secured. The project's price tag now exceeds $100 billion, more than triple the initial estimate. It has mostly been funded by the state through the voter-approved bond and money from the state's cap-and-trade program. A little less than a quarter of the money has come from the federal government. The authority has already spent about $13 billion. The state is now out of bond money, and officials need to come up with a financing plan for the Central Valley segment by mid-2026, according to the inspector general's office overseeing the project. 'The managers of the project were in trouble from the very beginning because they never had the financing – certainly not stable and predicting financing — that they would have needed to manage the project efficiently,' said Lou Thompson, who led a peer review group that analyzes the state's high-speed rail plans. Losing money from the federal government 'would require a real hard rethinking of what do we do to survive the next four years,' he said. Rail leaders are in talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration and state lawmakers on what will be needed to secure private investment, Choudri said, adding that without the private sector money the state may have to take out federal loans or issue new bonds. At an industry forum in January, private investors expressed interest in the project but need some form of security, he said. Choudri is pushing Newsom and lawmakers to consider a program that would eventually commit the state to paying back private investors, possibly with interest. That would give the state more time to cover the cost. Legislative Democrats say they remain hopeful for the project's future. But they haven't unveiled any proposals yet this year in the state Legislature to set aside additional funding and have resisted spending more money on the project in the past. Choudri plans to provide lawmakers this summer with an updated timeline and price tag. Choudri aims to fulfill the original vision of building a pioneering system — already common in Europe and Asia — that spurs economic growth, curbs planet-warming emissions from cars and planes, and saves drivers hours on the road. At speeds up to 220 miles (354 kilometers) per hour, it would be the nation's fastest way to travel by ground. Amtrak's Acela train transports passengers at speeds up to 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour to major cities including New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Another rail line in Florida operating at speeds up to 125 miles (201 kilometers) per hour shuttles people from Orlando to Miami. Construction is underway for a mostly privately funded high-speed system to carry riders from Las Vegas to Southern California. California's construction is far from completion. Of the 119 miles (192 kilometers) of construction underway in the Central Valley, only a 22-mile (35-kilometer) stretch is ready for the track-laying phase, which isn't set to start until next year. Finishing the line in the Valley is just the first step. Next, the train has to extend north toward the San Francisco Bay Area and south toward Los Angeles. Choudri's goal is to build to Gilroy, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. Under current public transit, it would then take at least one more train transfer to get into the city. Southward, he envisions building to Palmdale, 37 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. From there, it takes more than one hour to drive or two hours on an existing train line to reach Los Angeles. 'In the ideal world, you can take the 500 miles, build it in your warehouse and then just drop it and everybody's happy," Choudri said. 'But the programs are never built like that. You build incrementally and that's what we're doing right now.' Critics say the project will never be completed and may leave towering and unusable infrastructure stretching through the state's agricultural heartland. More than 50 structures have already been built, including underpasses, viaducts and bridges to separate the rail line from existing roadways for safety. 'We've now spent billions of dollars and really no tracks have been laid,' said Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland, who is vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. Doug Verboon, chair of the Kings County Board of Supervisors, who has fought the High-Speed Rail Authority in court over farmers' loss of land due to the project, said the people who should be most upset by delays are its longtime supporters. 'It doesn't seem to me like the state government is in a hurry to finish it," he said.
Mint
30-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
California high-speed rail leader pushes state to support private investment
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A long-delayed project promising nonstop rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles in under three hours may be able to secure the private funding it desperately needs if California agrees to pay the investors back, its chief executive told The Associated Press. Ian Choudri, who was appointed CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority in August, is tasked with reinvigorating the nation's largest infrastructure project amid skyrocketing costs and new fears that the Trump administration could pull $4 billion in federal funding. 'We started this one, and we are not succeeding,' Choudri said, describing what drew him to the job after work on high-speed systems in Europe. 'That was the main reason for me to say, let's go in, completely turn it around, and put it back to where it should have been. Fix all the issues, get the funding stabilized, and demonstrate to the rest of the world that when we decide that we want to do it, we actually will do it.' Voters first approved $10 billion in bond money in 2008 to cover about a third of the estimated cost with a promise the train would be up and running by 2020. Five years past that deadline, no tracks have been laid and Choudri acknowledges it may take nearly two more decades to complete most of the San Francisco-to-Los Angeles segment, even if funding is secured. The project's price tag now exceeds $100 billion, more than triple the initial estimate. It has mostly been funded by the state through the voter-approved bond and money from the state's cap-and-trade program. A little less than a quarter of the money has come from the federal government. The authority has already spent about $13 billion. The state is now out of bond money, and officials need to come up with a financing plan for the Central Valley segment by mid-2026, according to the inspector general's office overseeing the project. 'The managers of the project were in trouble from the very beginning because they never had the financing – certainly not stable and predicting financing — that they would have needed to manage the project efficiently,' said Lou Thompson, who led a peer review group that analyzes the state's high-speed rail plans. Losing money from the federal government 'would require a real hard rethinking of what do we do to survive the next four years,' he said. Rail leaders are in talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration and state lawmakers on what will be needed to secure private investment, Choudri said, adding that without the private sector money the state may have to take out federal loans or issue new bonds. At an industry forum in January, private investors expressed interest in the project but need some form of security, he said. Choudri is pushing Newsom and lawmakers to consider a program that would eventually commit the state to paying back private investors, possibly with interest. That would give the state more time to cover the cost. Legislative Democrats say they remain hopeful for the project's future. But they haven't unveiled any proposals yet this year in the state Legislature to set aside additional funding and have resisted spending more money on the project in the past. Choudri plans to provide lawmakers this summer with an updated timeline and price tag. Choudri aims to fulfill the original vision of building a pioneering system — already common in Europe and Asia — that spurs economic growth, curbs planet-warming emissions from cars and planes, and saves drivers hours on the road. At speeds up to 220 miles (354 kilometers) per hour, it would be the nation's fastest way to travel by ground. Amtrak's Acela train transports passengers at speeds up to 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour to major cities including New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Another rail line in Florida operating at speeds up to 125 miles (201 kilometers) per hour shuttles people from Orlando to Miami. Construction is underway for a mostly privately funded high-speed system to carry riders from Las Vegas to Southern California. California's construction is far from completion. Of the 119 miles (192 kilometers) of construction underway in the Central Valley, only a 22-mile (35-kilometer) stretch is ready for the track-laying phase, which isn't set to start until next year. Finishing the line in the Valley is just the first step. Next, the train has to extend north toward the San Francisco Bay Area and south toward Los Angeles. Choudri's goal is to build to Gilroy, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. Under current public transit, it would then take at least one more train transfer to get into the city. Southward, he envisions building to Palmdale, 37 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. From there, it takes more than one hour to drive or two hours on an existing train line to reach Los Angeles. 'In the ideal world, you can take the 500 miles, build it in your warehouse and then just drop it and everybody's happy," Choudri said. 'But the programs are never built like that. You build incrementally and that's what we're doing right now.' Critics say the project will never be completed and may leave towering and unusable infrastructure stretching through the state's agricultural heartland. More than 50 structures have already been built, including underpasses, viaducts and bridges to separate the rail line from existing roadways for safety. 'We've now spent billions of dollars and really no tracks have been laid,' said Republican state Sen. Tony Strickland, who is vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. Doug Verboon, chair of the Kings County Board of Supervisors, who has fought the High-Speed Rail Authority in court over farmers' loss of land due to the project, said the people who should be most upset by delays are its longtime supporters. 'It doesn't seem to me like the state government is in a hurry to finish it," he said. Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna First Published: 30 Apr 2025, 09:43 AM IST
